Tennessee schools could lose $100 million

[Old Coot]

Tennessean

Tennessee could lose more than $100 million in stimulus money because of a failed legislative effort to allow more students to attend charter schools.
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Democrats blocked a bill last week that would have made thousands of impoverished students in the state's 11 largest school districts eligible to enroll in charter schools. Lawmakers said they felt the expansion was too much too soon.

But the Obama administration disagrees. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Thursday that Tennessee's stance could jeopardize the state's shot at millions of dollars set aside to encourage school innovation.

"We want to reward those states that are willing to lead the country where we need to go and are willing to push this reform agenda very, very hard," Duncan told The Associated Press. "And the states that don't have the stomach or the political will, unfortunately, they're going to lose out."

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090530/NEWS04/905300345/1018/NEWS01/Tennessee+schools+could+lose++100+million